Chapter 122: The Journey on Horseback
“Good morning. Quite the terrible bunch,” Dean says.
If you’re Santa, then I’m Santa too. This time, we’re planning to head out without stopping by the fortress, so we have a lot of luggage for the journey, not just laundry.
To avoid running into Rosa and the others, we won’t be stopping by the Guild. It’s not a Guild job anyway; the notification will be submitted at the horse rental shop near the abandoned mine.
It’s not mandatory to submit it, but if we don’t return after twice the expected duration, they’ll inform other adventurers entering the mine that someone is missing.
“Good morning, Jean.”
“Good morning.”
Ash is wearing the coat I made, and so is the Butler.
Without a furrow in her brow, she looks like a woman dressed as a man. She doesn’t have a chest, but the curve from her waist to her hips is quite pronounced. Is that Az? Is Az putting in some effort? I feel a bit rude for checking her out, but I can’t help it.
Once everyone is gathered, we head to the horse rental shop, where we retrieve the horses we ordered.
“Ruta, thanks for your help.”
I borrowed some books about horses from the library. Since there’s horse feed packed in Ruta’s luggage, I appreciate it.
Horses are herbivores and apparently spend about six hours munching in the wild. They have small stomachs and can’t eat a lot at once.
I give Ruta a sugar cube as he affectionately rubs his face against me; horses love sweet things.
“Whoa, a bribe!”
Dean chuckles a bit, but I don’t mind. Whether Tina and the twins will look at me differently depends on Ruta!
With a graceful leap, I mount Ruta and we set off. Since there are too many horses, the kids are riding with Shiva, Chris, and Retze. Dean and Dinoss are heavy, so they ride separately to avoid burdening the horses.
The reason I’m excluded is that I self-reported I couldn’t ride. I almost ended up sharing a horse with Ash or the Butler. I’ve been on long rides before, so I managed to avoid that.
Everyone else has gone on several hunts with Dinoss, so the kids are used to it.
“Whoa!”
“Fuh!”
Especially Chris seems to have won over Baku, who is enthusiastically rubbing against his chin. “Fuh” isn’t the right response; it’s not, look, you’re turning red!
I can’t help but check what’s going on with Chris’s chin spirit, and it turns out he was rubbing back… Why can’t the others who can see it just ignore it?
“I pulled Baku away and warned him, you know? But Chris said he somehow feels calm when his chin is being played with…”
Dinoss makes excuses while averting his gaze.
Is it because he’s used to having spirits rub against him daily? No, I didn’t think he was ignoring the kids’ discipline.
“Jean, you’re so cool! Let me ride with you later~”
“Oh my.”
Tina praises me from Shiva’s arms.
“No way! I won’t allow you to ride with any man other than your father!”
Dinoss interjects, placing a horse between Shiva and me.
“Dad, that’s so unfair~!”
“Unfair~!”
“Unfair!”
The Dinoss family is in their usual rhythm.
“Jean’s presence seems to take the edge off the King Wolf family…”
“Huh?”
Is this not the norm?
I can’t help but voice my confusion at Retze’s words.
“Indeed, they seem relaxed. Being with Jean lightens the heart.”
Wait? Could it be that Liberation is at work here?
Ash’s words raise a suspicion that perhaps my ability is having an effect.
“I’ve only gained more worries, though.”
Retze’s comment makes my suspicions fade away.
“Baku is probably like that too, right?”
In conclusion, I don’t think it’s my fault.
Along the way, we stop at rivers and ponds to let the horses drink, meandering a bit while still heading straight for our destination.
Despite entering an area where weak demon beasts might appear, nothing attacks us. That’s thanks to Dinoss and Shiva’s spirits taking turns to intimidate ahead.
“The demon beasts around here are small monkey-like creatures. The largest group is about fourteen or fifteen, as Retze has researched. If it exceeds twenty, it gets dangerous, but it’s unlikely for large ones or groups this size to attack us. Just be careful not to stray too far apart, or they might target you.”
We take a break by the riverside, listening to Dinoss’s caution and trying to stick together. Well, judging by the reactions of the others, it seems the warning is mainly directed at me and the kids.
I remind Ruta not to stray from the other horses and prepare tea by the riverside. The shallow stream flowing through the flat forest is gentle and slow. Apparently, this river can disappear during the dry summer months.
I wash my face and hands in the river, feeling refreshed. Meanwhile, the Butler and Retze quickly prepare a fire. I can’t match their speed when it comes to such preparations.
“Jean!”
“Hey, want some fruit?”
I catch Tina as she hugs me and ask.
“I want some too~!”
“I want some too~!”
“I’ll eat, I’ll eat.”
En and Baku follow up, and Dinoss pulls Tina away from me.
“Well then, everyone, let’s have a taste…”
“That’s expensive! You always bring stuff like that!”
When I pull out an orange, Retze scolds me. It’s fine; this is an orange from this world. I know rich people eat them even though they’re ridiculously expensive, so it should be safe.
“Lord Jean. Normally, unless it’s something offered to adventurers, you shouldn’t eat anything worth more than your daily wage while working.”
The Butler gives me a smile while offering some educational guidance.
My apologies, I packed enough for everyone, so please consume it.